Imagine you are participating in an annual contest at your workplace to determine the final winner. Everyone wants this prize. People have cheated, backstabbed, and played dirty in the past to win this prize. It is that great. As the time period for determining who the finalist will be closes in, you notice a loophole in the competition's rules that would allow you and another coworker to both be finalist.
Would you pull the dirty trick in order to get a chance at the prize? It is a moral dilemma that even the greatest philosopher would have to ponder over. Well, guess what? If the Colts lose to the Jags this Sunday, the Raiders and Bolts will find themselves in this situation.
If the Colts lose, the winner of the Raiders-Chargers game is in the playoffs. If both teams tie, the Raiders and the Bolts get into the playoffs. The Colts play at 1 pm. The Raiders and Bolts are playing at 8:20 pm. Both teams would know if this situation would come up before the game. That would give both teams plenty of time to discuss the details, forge out a plan, and pinky swear that they will kneel the ball on every single play for 70 minutes.
I know what you are thinking. There is no way the NFL would allow this to happen.
They could fine both teams for damaging the integrity of the sport, but what will they do in the middle of the game? Call up Buffalo Wild Wings and get a sprinkler to make the ball go down the field. There is no chance. That is not happening.
Surely the players wouldn't want to be involved with something like this.
Really? The National Football League gives players $19,000 for losing a playoff game. Their bonuses go up if they win. The chance to play in a Super Bowl is one of the incentives for players to want to reach the playoffs. Would you be willing to give up your bonus money and championship opportunity for the integrity of a single regular season game?
The fines for unsportsmanlike conduct are less than the bonuses the players would receive for making the playoffs.
Alright. Both the Raiders and the Bolts are in the same division. They don't want to see the other make the playoffs.
Are they? I think the relationship between the Raiders and the Bolts is one of mutual respect. Right now, if you want to know aboutRaiders biggest rivals. It is pretty much agreed that the team's biggest rival is either Denver or Kansas City. Some people think that the 49ers, 49ers, and Steelers are bigger rivals to the Raiders than the Bolts are.
The Chargers are different now. The Raiders are clearly their biggest rival, but it is not a big rivalry. The Raiders have struggled to stay relevant in recent years and have been forced to leave their hometown for a bigger market, so the Bolts should see a bit of themselves in them. Even if the Raiders have to play the Chiefs in the Wild Card Round, reaching the playoffs should be a goal that both teams can agree on.
There is no way the Colts will lose to the Jags.
The Colts haven't won a game in Jacksonville since 2014, so I'd hate to break it to you. The Colts have a number for the Jags in Florida. The circumstances are different this time. The Colts are in a good position. They might drop a 50-bomb on the Jags to make sure they walk away with the win. Jacksonville gave Indy a run for their money in the first meeting of the year, and the Jags have a history of doing that. There is a reason for the Jaguars to feel confident in their ability to win, but maybe they don't want to win in order to get the first overall pick. That is also an option.
The situation is even more crazy because the Raiders and Bolts play on Sunday Night Football. They play the last game of the season. Millions of people will be watching. Imagine if both teams gave a huge middle finger to the world as they entered the playoffs. It is most likely not going to happen. The players have a lot of self-respect and dignity, but they would not be involved in something as childish as this.
